Apollo.io Pricing Explained: Plans, Costs, and Features

Effective cost management is important for organizations worldwide when purchasing software. It is a major decision factor for organizations to manage limited budgets, ensure a good return on investment, and also, withstand economic uncertainties.

For those considering Apollo.io, a B2B sales engagement and lead generation platform, cost becomes even more critical. Apollo.io allows users to provide precise contact details and automate their sales funnel. The platform has over 275 million global contacts and 73 million total accounts.

Despite these robust features, its pricing can be higher and may be difficult for some organizations to afford.

This article will help you understand Apollo.io’s pricing structure so you can decide on one. Let’s take a look at the pricing structure given below.

Apollo.io Pricing Plans 2024

Apollo.io offers four different pricing plans. The free version provides only simple tools. The next three plans range from $49 to $119. All these packages are billed annually.

Let us take a look at the table given below to understand the pricing structure better:

At first glance, Apollo.io’s $119/month plan sounds generous — 180,000 credits annually. But here’s the part they don’t advertise loudly:

• 1 credit = just an email address
• 8 credit = just mobile number
• 9 credits = email + mobile number (the real lead SDRs want)

Now let’s do the math:

That’s 2,500 usable contacts/month at best. But here’s the catch:

• Bad data? Still charged.
• Want to export? More credits gone.
• Reuse a contact? Pay again.

This is not flexibility. It’s a built-in ceiling — one that punishes you the moment you try to scale your outbound efforts.

Apollo.io Pricing Plans Explained

There are four Apollo.io pricing plans. Let us take a look at all four of them in detail in the table given below:

Apollo.io Free Plan: What Do You Really Get?

Apollo.io’s Free Plan markets itself as a great starting point for lead generation. But once you understand how its credit system works, the “free” value quickly starts to shrink.

💳 Apollo Free Plan Overview

• 1,200 credits per year (100 credits/month)
• $0/month – billed monthly
• Includes:
  • 2 email sequences
  • Gmail & Salesforce extensions
  • Basic filters
  • Prospecting tools

Sounds decent — but here’s where it breaks down 👇

📉 The Real Cost of a Lead: New Credit System

With Apollo’s updated model:

• 1 credit = 1 email address
• 8 credits = 1 mobile number
• Email + Phone = 9 credits total

So, with just 1,200 credits/year, your realistic output is:

📌 That’s only ~11 usable contacts per month if you want emails with mobile numbers — less than one per working day.

❌ Key Limitations

Even though the Free Plan offers useful features like email sequencing and CRM integrations, they’re essentially throttled by credits:

• SDRs run out of contacts in a day or two
• You can’t meaningfully test outreach at scale
• Mobile numbers are nearly inaccessible
• No rollover — use it or lose it
• No ability to validate data before burning credits

You’re not running a real sales process — you’re running on fumes.which most SDRs do), you’ll burn through that allowance in a few days.

⛔ What You Don’t Get

Apollo’s free plan leaves out a lot of what serious sales teams need:

• ❌ No access to deeper filters or advanced segmentation
• ❌ No buyer intent signals
• ❌ No phone data at scale (unless you pay)
• ❌ No advanced enrichment, analytics, or CRM automation
• ❌ Strict caps on automation — only 2 sequences allowed
• ❌ Zero ability to scale outbound across a team

🤔 The Takeaway

Apollo’s Free Plan gives you enough to explore the interface — but not enough to generate real pipeline.

With mobile numbers priced at 8 credits and a total allowance of 1,200 per year, you’ll get fewer than 12 real leads per month.

If you’re serious about evaluating an outbound platform, Clodura.AI’s Free Forever Plan gives you more access, more output, and no restrictions.

📌 Important: This isn’t a critique of Apollo’s value — it’s a clarification of how their credit-based system works. For founders, SDRs, or RevOps leads evaluating outbound tools, understanding what each “credit” really buys is critical.

Apollo.io Basic Plan: What You Actually Get for $49/month

Apollo’s Basic Plan is positioned as the first paid step toward serious prospecting. At $49/user/month (billed annually), it sounds like a solid deal — until you do the math on how their credit system works.

📦 Plan Overview:

• 💰 $49/month per user (billed annually = $588/year)
• 🎯 60,000 credits per year
• Includes:
  • 2 Sequences
  • Advanced Filters
  • CRM Integration
  • Gmail & Salesforce extensions
  • Schedule meetings
  • 6 Intent topics & filters
  • Data & CRM enrichment

But let’s look at how far those 60,000 credits actually go 👇

📉 Real Usage with Updated Credit Logic

New Apollo Credit Cost:

• 1 credit = 1 email
• 8 credits = 1 mobile number
• Email + Phone = 9 credits

So here’s your realistic annual contact volume:

🚨 That’s just ~555 usable contacts/month per rep if you want full leads.

⚠️ Real-World Constraints

Even though the plan includes CRM syncs, filters, and sequences, you still face:

• 🔄 Limited multichannel reach (mobile is expensive)
• ⏳ Fast credit burn if reps are doing daily prospecting
• ❌ No guarantee of accuracy — bad data still costs credits
• 💸 Need to buy add-on credits if you scale up
• 🔄 Exports, enrichment, and re-downloads = more credits consumed

So even though you’re “paying,” you’re still rationing usage.

⛔ What’s Still Limited or Gated

Despite being a paid tier, you’re still facing:

• ⚠️ Just 2 sequences allowed — not enough for multichannel/multicadence outreach
• 🔐 Credits are burned even if the data is inaccurate
• 💸 Additional credits = additional cost
• 🧮 No unlimited contact access — every export drains your allowance
• 🤝 CRM access comes with credit-bound enrichment

This plan still runs on the same logic as a prepaid SIM card: use it wisely, or pay more.

🧠 Key Takeaway:

Apollo’s Basic Plan can support low-volume outreach, but it simply doesn’t scale:

• You’re capped at ~555 full leads/month
• You’ll need to track credits constantly
• You’ll be charged even for bad or incomplete data
• Your team won’t be able to run full-funnel workflows without upgrades

For just a bit more per month, Clodura.AI offers full freedom — no usage math required.

Apollo.io Professional Plan: High Features, Hidden Limits

Apollo’s Professional Plan is its most popular tier, priced at $79/user/month (billed annually = $948/year). It promises more power, more automation, and more outreach — but it’s still constrained by the same credit system.

Let’s unpack what you’re really getting 👇

📦 Plan Summary

• 💰 $79/month per user
• 🔢 120,000 credits per user per year
• Includes:
  • ✅ Unlimited Sequences
  • ✅ Gmail & Salesforce Extensions
  • ✅ Advanced Filters
  • ✅ CRM Integrations
  • ✅ Round Robin Scheduling
  • ✅ AI Research Intelligence & Workflows
  • ✅ US Dialer
  • ✅ 5 Mailboxes
  • ✅ 4,000 Minutes of Call Recording & Insights
  • ✅ Pre-built Dashboards & Reports
  • ✅ 6 Intent Topics + Data Enrichment

This sounds like a complete outbound stack. But the core currency — credits — is what really determines your scale.

📉 Credit Breakdown with Updated Pricing Logic

Apollo now charges:

• 1 credit = 1 email
• 8 credits = 1 mobile number
• 9 credits = email + mobile (full lead)

So here’s what 120,000 credits/year gets you:

🚨 That’s only ~1,111 real leads/month — barely enough for 1–2 reps doing consistent outbound. Add more reps, and you’ll need add-on credits within weeks.

🔥 But It Gets Tighter in Reality

What drains credits fast:

• ❗ Previews
• ❗ Bulk exports
• ❗ Enrichment
• ❗ Duplicate/incorrect data
• ❗ Multiple outreach attempts

So in practice, most teams get 10–20% fewer usable leads than the credit math suggests.

⛔ What’s Still Credit-Locked

Even though you’re on a “Professional” plan, you’re still:

• ❗ Paying per contact (email vs phone = different pricing tiers)
• ❗ Burning credits for enrichment, exports, previews
• ❗ Subject to upgrades or add-ons if you exceed usage
• ❗ At the mercy of credit consumption rules, even if data is inaccurate

🧾 Final Thoughts:

Apollo’s $79/month plan looks powerful — and in terms of tooling, it does offer impressive automation, AI insights, and CRM integrations. But…

The core contact access — the lifeblood of your outbound engine — is still locked behind a fragile credit economy.

👇 TL;DR:

🧠 Summary:

Apollo’s Professional plan is feature-rich — but still pay-per-lead at its core.

If your team is growing fast, doing daily outreach, and needs access to thousands of full contacts monthly — you’re either going to hit the ceiling or pay more.

Apollo.io Organization Plan: Enterprise Features, Metered Access

Apollo’s Organization Plan is its top-tier offering, designed for large, complex GTM teams. It includes the platform’s most advanced automation, security, and analytics features — at a price of $119/user/month (billed annually = $1,428/year) with a minimum of 3 users.

Sounds like an outbound powerhouse… until you run the credit math.

📦 What’s Included

• 💰 $1,428/year per user
• 🔢 180,000 credits per user/year
• 3-user minimum = $4,284/year minimum spend
• Includes:
  • ✅ Unlimited Sequences
  • ✅ US & International Dialers
  • ✅ 15 Mailboxes per user
  • ✅ 12 Intent Topics
  • ✅ Enrichment (CRM + Data)
  • ✅ AI Research Intelligence & Workflows
  • ✅ 8,000 Minutes of Call Recordings
  • ✅ Custom Dashboards & Advanced Reports
  • ✅ SSO + Security Configs + Admin Control
  • ✅ Round Robin Scheduling

The stack is impressive — but your access to prospects is still credit-restricted.

📉 Credit Math (Updated Pricing Model)

With Apollo’s updated credit system:

• 1 credit = 1 email
• 8 credits = 1 mobile number
• 9 credits = full lead (email + mobile)

So, with 180,000 credits per user per year:

That’s only ~1,666 full leads per user/month — and that’s before factoring in credit losses from:

• ❗ Previewing contacts
• ❗ Bulk exports
• ❗ Enrichments
• ❗ Inaccurate or duplicate records

For a 5-rep team, that means you’ll burn through credits in 2–3 weeks, especially with multi-touch sequences and calling strategies.

⛔ The Tradeoff: Big Features, Limited Access

Even at $119/user/month, you’re still subject to:

• ❗ Credit burn for every contact — even bad ones
• 💸 Add-on costs if you exceed limits
• 📤 Exporting = credit loss
• ❌ No true “unlimited” lead access
• 🧮 Admin time spent credit-tracking instead of revenue-driving

The platform looks like an enterprise engine, but the core throttle is still a usage meter on your contact database.

⚖️ Summary: You’re Paying Enterprise Pricing for Prepaid Access

Apollo’s Organization Plan is rich in features — dialers, automation, dashboards, integrations — but it’s still credit-gated at the most critical layer: your lead generation.

If your sales velocity depends on volume, personalization, and calling mobile numbers daily, this model creates operational drag.

🧠 Final Thought:

Apollo.io’s Organization plan looks like an enterprise-grade system — but functions like a prepaid lead wallet. If you’re managing multiple reps, intent-based targeting, or global GTM at scale, this bottleneck grows fast.

Apollo.io Pricing vs Competitors

Going for Apollo.io might be your decision, however, have you looked at the alternatives? If not then we are here to provide you a holistic view of the pricing plans of Apollo.io alternatives.

The table displayed below will help you differentiate between Apollo.io and its alternatives:

Features	Apollo.io	Clodura.AI	SalesIntel	Lusha	ZoomInfo
Cheapest Plan (Annually)	$119/month	$90/month	$69/month	$36/month	$7000
Number of Users	1	1	1	1	Data Unavailable
Emails credits (per year)	60,000	Unlimited	N/A	1920	5000
Export Credits (per year)	12000	12000	1200	Data Unavailable	Data unavailable
Sequence Automation	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Buying Intent	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Calling	No	Yes	Data Unavailable	No	No

Let us compare these competitors briefly in the following section.

Clodura.AI is a B2B AI-driven lead-generation software that comprises a large contact database with a 95% contact accuracy rate, providing highly accurate information. As the table above shows, Clodura.AI is the software with the most affordable pricing structure that provides both basic features and advanced tools in its free model. Some of its other features include an email verifier tool, basic sequence automation, and transparent pricing.

SalesIntel promises to be the most accurate B2B data provider on the list as it offers human-verified data that keeps updating every 90 days. Balancing cost and data quality makes it easy for businesses to find this software reliable.

Lusha is another sales prospecting and intelligence tool that allows users to not only access buyer intent data but also develop custom email sequences to target potential leads. Since it has a free pricing model it allows all kinds of businesses to subscribe to the platform.

ZoomInfo is a highly accurate B2B data provider that also offers multiple advanced features to its subscribers. However, the lowest pricing model begins at $7000 which implies only large-scale enterprises can afford its services.

Is Apollo.io Worth the Price?

✅ The Case For Apollo.io:

Apollo.io offers a compelling feature stack — especially for sales teams that value integrated outreach workflows, intent filters, AI research tools, and dialers. For mid-sized teams, its automation capabilities and CRM syncs can save hours each week.

On paper, it looks like an all-in-one platform with:

• Email outreach
• Phone dialing
• CRM integrations
• Meeting scheduling
• Intent-based targeting
• AI-driven research

If you’re doing low- to mid-volume outbound, and your team is highly structured around credits and sequences, Apollo can serve you well — particularly at the Professional Plan ($79/mo).

❌ But Here’s the Reality for Growing Teams:

Apollo runs on a credit-based pricing model — and that’s where the value cracks open.

🧮 What Credits Actually Get You:

These numbers are best-case. In reality, credits are also used for:

• Previewing contacts
• Exporting
• Enrichment
• Inaccurate data (still consumes credits)

For scaling teams, this model leads to:

• Constant credit anxiety
• Budget unpredictability
• Penalization for growth

🔥 Bottom Line:

Apollo.io is worth it only if:

• You’re a small team running modest outbound volume
• You rarely require mobile numbers
• You’re okay with tracking credit usage like a utility bill

But if you’re:

• Scaling SDR headcount
• Running daily calling
• Exporting contacts in volume
• Looking for unlimited, accurate, verified contact access

Then Apollo gets expensive, fast — and becomes more of a constraint than a catalyst.

🧠 Final Verdict: Good Product. Flawed Pricing.

Apollo.io offers great automation — but puts a meter on the one thing you need most: prospect access.

You’re not just buying software.
You’re buying a limited number of conversations.

And if that doesn’t align with how you grow pipeline?

🚨 Then Apollo.io may not be worth it.

🚀 Clodura.AI: The Only Apollo.io Alternative That Actually Scales

Where Apollo charges more as you grow, Clodura unlocks more power the bigger you get.

Clodura.AI Prospect Pro – $127/month (Annual)

• ✅ Unlimited Emails + Mobile Numbers
• ✅ 2,000 contact exports/month (vs 2,500 on Apollo with credits)
• ✅ 600 partner mobile credits/year included
• ✅ AI Email Writer (Unlimited words)
• ✅ Send 1,500 emails/day, per user
• ✅ Built-in dialer (CallPilot: 100 mins/month)
• ✅ Buyer Intent Signals, Org Charts, Sequence Analytics
• ✅ CRM integrations, CSV enrichment, soft lead tracking
• ✅ No credits. No restrictions. No surprise upsells.

🔥 Why More Teams Are Ditching Apollo for Clodura.AI

🧠 Clodura.AI Isn’t Just a Better Option.

It’s the only real choice for GTM teams done with:

🚫 Credit caps
🚫 Fake “value” tiers
🚫 Export penalties
🚫 Overpromised data accuracy

💥 If You’re Using Apollo.io, Here’s Your Wake-Up Call:

• You’re paying to preview.
• You’re rationing access to your own prospects.
• You’re penalized for scaling outreach.

You deserve better.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does Apollo.io’s credit system work?

Apollo.io uses a credit-based model where:

• 1 credit = one email address
• 6 credits = a full contact with email + mobile number

These credits are used not only for accessing leads, but also for actions like previewing, exporting, and enrichment. That means even inaccurate or duplicate data still costs you credits. If your team does any form of high-volume outreach, you’ll likely need add-on credits, which increases your total cost quickly.

2. How many actual leads can I get with Apollo.io?

That depends on the plan:

Keep in mind — this assumes perfect credit usage, which rarely happens in real scenarios.

3. What’s the biggest downside of Apollo.io?

The biggest limitation is the credit cap — even on premium plans. It puts a hard limit on how many prospects you can actually reach each month. As your SDR headcount or outbound volume grows, you’re hit with either credit exhaustion or additional cost.

You’re essentially paying for access control, not scale.

4. How is Clodura.AI different from Apollo.io?

Clodura.AI offers a flat-rate, unlimited access model — no credits, no surprises.

• ✅ Unlimited Emails & Mobile Numbers
• ✅ 2,000 Export Credits/month included
• ✅ Verified database of 600M+ contacts
• ✅ Built-in dialer, AI email writer, CRM sync, enrichment tools
• ✅ Starts at just $127/month (billed annually)

Unlike Apollo, you’re not penalized for doing more. The more your team uses Clodura, the more pipeline you build — without extra cost.

5. Who should choose Clodura.AI over Apollo.io?

Clodura.AI is the better choice if you:

• Need high-volume outbound with mobile numbers
• Want predictable pricing with no usage tracking
• Manage multiple SDRs or outbound reps
• Want to simplify your tech stack (CRM sync, dialer, AI tools all-in-one)
• Hate running out of credits mid-quarter

It’s built for modern GTM teams who scale fast and can’t afford to throttle outreach.

6. Can I try Clodura.AI before committing?

Absolutely. Clodura.AI offers a Free Forever Plan with:

• 750 email credits/month
• 100 contact exports/month
• Access to AI writer, sequences, analytics & more

No credit card required — start exploring right away.

7. Why is Clodura.AI more cost-effective than Apollo.io?

Because Clodura doesn’t charge you per email, per export, or per preview.

Instead of locking core features behind credit packages, Clodura gives you everything upfront — at a simple, flat rate. This lets your team focus on results, not resource rationing.and they can share it without any worries.